Bezjak v Wyatt [2018] NSWSC 199

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Bezjak v Wyatt [2018] NSWSC 199 Hearing dates: 13 – 14 December 2017 Date of orders: 28 February 2018 Decision date: 28 February 2018 Jurisdiction: Equity Before: Hallen J Decision: Orders that the Plaintiff's Summons be dismissed.

Orders that any argument as to the costs of the proceeding be listed on a date to be arranged when these reasons are published.

Orders that the Exhibits be dealt with in accordance with the Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 following the determination of how the costs of the proceedings are to be borne. Catchwords: SUCCESSION – Claim for declaration that the Plaintiff is a person with whom the deceased person was living in a de facto relationship at the time of the deceased person's death – Claim for family provision order –– Reliance on different categories of eligibility – Defendant denies that Plaintiff an eligible person within any category of eligibility – Defendant also denies that, if relevant, there are factors warranting the making of the Plaintiff's application – Whether eligibility and factors warranting the making of the application established and, if so, whether an order for provision ought to be made. Legislation Cited: Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW) Family Provision Act 1982 (NSW) Interpretation Act 1987 (NSW) Property (Relationships) Act 1984 (NSW) Relationships Register Act 2010 Succession Act 2006 (NSW) Cases Cited: Aafjes v Kearney (1976) 180 CLR 199; [1976] HCA 5 Amaca Pty Ltd v Novek [2009] NSWCA 50 Andrew v Andrew (2012) 81 NSWLR 656; [2012] NSWCA 308 Armagas Ltd v Mundogas SA (The "Ocean Frost") [1985] 1 Lloyd's Rep 1 Ashton v Pratt (No 2) [2012] NSWSC 3 Ballard v Multiplex [2012] NSWSC 426 Bar-Mordecai v Hillston [2004] NSWCA 65 Bathurst Regional Council v Local Government Financial Services Pty Ltd (No 5) [2012] FCA 1200 Bellpac Pty Ltd (Receivers and Managers Appointed) (In Liquidation) (No 2) (2011) 297 ALR 56; [2011] FCA 1123 Bkassini v Sarkis [2017] NSWSC 1487 Boettcher v Driscoll (2014) 119 SASR 523; [2014] SASC 86 Bosch v Perpetual Trustee Co Ltd [1938] AC 463 Chan v Chan [2016] NSWCA 222 Chapple v Wilcox (2014) 87 NSWLR 646; [2014] NSWCA 392 Churton v Christian (1988) 13 NSWLR 241 Dakin v Sansbury [2010] FMCAfam 628 de Angelis v de Angelis [2003] VSC 432 Devereaux-Warnes v Hall (No 3) (2007) 35 WAR 127; [2007] WASCA 235 Dion v Rieser [2010] NSWSC 50 Doshen v Pedisich [2013] NSWSC 1507 Estate Pamplin; Irwin v Pamplin [2017] NSWSC 1477 Foley v Ellis [2008] NSWCA 288 Gardiner v Gardiner (Supreme Court (NSW), Santow J, 28 May 1998, unrep) Goodman v Windeyer (1980) 144 CLR 490; [1980] HCA 31 Grey v Harrison [1997] 2 VR 359 Hayes v Marquis [2008] NSWCA 10 Hughes v St Barbara Mines Ltd (No 4) [2010] WASC 160 Hunter v Hunter (1987) 8 NSWLR 573 In the matter of Kit Digital Australia Pty Ltd (in liq) [2014] NSWSC 1547 Ingamells v Western Australian Trustees Ltd (Supreme Court (WA), 5 March 1993, unrep) Jonah & White (2011) 258 FLR 236; (2011) 45 Fam LR 460 Justyn Marcus Ng v Neville Mark Morgan; Selena Natanie Ng v Morgan; Commonwealth Bank of Australia v Neville Mark Morgan in his capacity as Administrator of the estate of the late Dell Smith [2014] NSWSC 536 Kay v Archbold [2008] NSWSC 254 Light v Anderson [1992] NSWCA 136 Lloyd-Williams v Mayfield (2005) 63 NSWLR 1; [2005] NSWCA 189 Lodin v Lodin [2017] NSWCA 327 Lynam v Director General of Social Security (1983) 52 ALR 128 Manuel v Lane [2013] NSWCA 61 McCosker v McCosker (1957) 97 CLR 566; [1957] HCA 82 Minister for Immigration and Border Protection v Angkawijaya [2016] FCAFC 5 Nguyen v Cosmopolitan Homes [2008] NSWCA 246 Nominal Defendant v Cordin [2017] NSWCA 6 Nominal Defendant v Saleh [2011] NSWCA 16 Nominal Defendant v Smith [2015] NSWCA 339 Page v Page [2017] NSWCA 141 Palagiano v Mankarios [2011] NSWSC 61 Petersen v Gregory; Estate Glenn Alfred Petersen [2007] NSWSC 8 Piras v Egan [2008] NSWCA 59 Plunkett v Bull (1915) 19 CLR 544 Pontifical Society for the Propagation of the Faith v Scales (1962) 107 CLR 9; [1962] HCA 19 R (on the application of M) v Slough Borough Council [2008] 1 WLR 1808; [2008] UKHL 52 Re Fulop, Deceased (1987) 8 NSWLR 679 Richardson v Armistead [2000] VSC 551 Robson v Quijarro [2009] NSWCA 365 Russell v NSW Trustee and Guardian [2013] NSWSC 370 S v B [2005] 1 Qd R 537; [2004] QCA 449 Sadiq v NSW Trustee and Guardian [2015] NSWSC 716 Sadiq v NSW Trustee and Guardian [2016] HCASL 180 Sadiq v NSW Trustee and Guardian [2016] NSWCA 62 Sam Wardy v Gordon Salier; William Wardy v Gordon Salier; Hassiba Wardy v Estate of late Edmond Wadih Wardy, developer and Ch 3 of the Succession Act 2006 [2014] NSWSC 473 Sassoon v Rose [2013] NSWCA 220 Scragg v Scott [2006] NZFLR 1076 Seymour v Australian Broadcasting Commission (1977) 19 NSWLR 219 Sgro v Thompson [2017] NSWCA 326 Simonis v Perpetual Trustee Co Ltd (1987) 21 NSWLR 677 Singer v Berghouse (1994) 181 CLR 201; [1994] HCA 40 Skinner v Frappell [2008] NSWCA 296 Slack v Rogan; Palffy v Rogan (2013) 85 NSWLR 253; [2013] NSWSC 522 Smoje v Forrester [2017] NSWCA 308 Spata v Tumino [2018] NSWCA 17 Szypica v O'Beirne [2013] NSWSC 297 Thomas v The Times Book Co [1966] 2 All ER 241; [1966] 1 WLR 911 Tobin v Ezekiel (2012) 83 NSWLR 757; [2012] NSWCA 285 Vaughan v Hoskovich [2010] NSWSC 706 Verzar v Verzar [2012] NSWSC 1380 Vigolo v Bostin (2005) 221 CLR 191; [2005] HCA 11 Webb v Ryan [2012] VSC 377 Whisprun Pty Ltd v Dixon (2003) 200 ALR 447; (2003) 77 ALJR 1598; [2003] HCA 48 White v Barron (1980) 144 CLR 431; [1980] HCA 14 Wilcox v Wilcox [2012] NSWSC 1138 Wolff v Deavin [2012] NSWSC 1315 Ye v Fung [2006] NSWSC 243 Yee v Yee [2017] NSWCA 305 Zahra v Francica [2009] NSWSC 1206 Texts Cited: R Atherton, "The Concept of Moral Duty in the Law of Family Provision – a Gloss or Critical Understanding?" (1999) 5(1) Aust J Leg Hist 5 P McClellan entitled "Who Is Telling the Truth? Psychology, Common Sense and the Law" (2006) 80 ALJ 655 Shorter Oxford Dictionary (2007) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Brigita Bridget Bezjak (Plaintiff) James Rolin Wyatt (Defendant) Representation: Counsel: Mr T J Morahan (Plaintiff) Mr N Bilinsky (Defendant)